Internationally recognized equine respiratory and dental disorder specialist Dr. Padraic M. Dixon will help practitioners understand how the evolution of the horse has impacted current equine dentistry knowledge when he delivers the 2017 Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on Nov. 19 during the American Association of Equine Practitioners 63^nd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Dixon’s lecture, titled “The Evolution of Horses and The Evolution of Equine Dentistry,” will focus on the horse’s 55-million-year evolution, particularly in relation to dental development and the dental aspects of equine domestication. Additionally, he aims to educate practitioners about the diagnosis and management of common dental disorders through clinically relevant anatomical, pathological, imaging and treatment studies. Other topics include a discussion about the enormous contribution horses have made to civilization and the history of equine dentistry.

A graduate of University College Dublin, he later obtained his PhD in equine respiratory disorders at The University of Edinburgh. Professor Dixon has spent most of his professional life at The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, where he is a professor of equine surgery and specializes in equine respiratory and dental disorders.

Dr. Dixon’s main clinical and research interests are equine dental disorders and upper respiratory surgery. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers on these topics and has lectured and tutored extensively on these areas around the world. He is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Equine Soft Tissue Surgery and a European Specialist in Equine Dentistry.

The convention lecture, sponsored by Platinum Performance, is named for AAEP past president and distinguished life member Dr. Frank J. Milne.

The 63rd Annual Convention will be held Nov. 17-21 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The annual convention is the world’s largest continuing education event dedicated to equine veterinary practice and is attended by thousands of equine veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians and exhibitors. For more information about the annual convention, visit convention.aaep.org.

About the AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry. 

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